What’s Next for Digital Asset Management?
2026 is shaping up to be a decisive year for Digital Asset Management — not because of a single technology shift, but because of a growing convergence of pressures. In this episode of the Santa Cruz Software Labs Podcast, an international panel of DAM leaders and industry observers explores what is changing beneath the surface, and why familiar assumptions about DAM may no longer hold.
AI is part of the conversation, but not in the way it is usually framed. Rather than focusing on features or promises, the discussion circles around deeper questions: what happens when DAM becomes tightly coupled with creative tools, automation layers, and emerging authenticity requirements? What breaks first: workflows, governance, or trust? And what does “AI-ready” actually mean in practice?
Throughout the episode, the panel returns to a central tension: DAM is being asked to move faster, connect more systems, and support generative workflows, while simultaneously becoming more reliable, more accountable, and more regulated. Is DAM still a supporting system, or is it quietly becoming something more foundational?
Speakers
- Frédéric Sanuy – CEO & Co-Founder, Activo
- John Horodyski – Managing Director, AVP
- Ralph Windsor – Publisher, DAM News
- Mark Hilton – CEO & Co-Founder, Santa Cruz Software
Topics Covered
- The non-AI trends that still matter in 2026
- Authenticity, provenance, and regulation
- Metadata, vocabularies, and standards
- DAM as the “source of truth” for creative + GenAI tools
- Practical AI “low-hanging fruit”
- The “AI gap” and sustainability
The Santa Cruz Software Labs Podcast is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major platforms.
Listen to the full conversation to explore what DAM may become in 2026 — and what today’s decisions could quietly lock in for years to come.